1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a razor and more particularly to a safety razor having a blade unit with a plurality of blades and a means for spreading the blades apart to facilitate cleaning debris from between the blades.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has become commonplace in recent years for safety razors to be equipped with blade units having two or more blade elements disposed on the head of the razor. These razors are generally known as twin-bladed razors, multi-bladed razors, and the like. In these razors, the blades are mounted in a parallel spaced relationship to each other so as to provide a leading cutting edge and a following cutting edge which, during a single shaving stroke, are successively engaged with the hair being shaved. This arrangement is believed to provide a closer shave than would be the case if only a single blade were used.
However, during shaving with razors having two or more such parallel spaced blade elements, hair, shaving cream, and other debris can become lodged in the space between the blades. The lodged material can decrease the effectiveness of the razor, thereby producing inferior results. Accordingly, it is desirable to remove the lodged material at a suitable time during and/or after shaving. In the past, the lodged material has been removed by rinsing and pounding the razor head on the side of a sink. Other prior art methods include pushing or ejecting devices which move between the blades in a wiping manner for ejecting the lodged material from between the blades. Yet other prior art razors include specially formed channels or passages for directing water against the lodged material. However, none of the prior art methods have proven to be ideal. Consequently, it is apparent that there is a continuing need for a razor having blade elements that can be readily cleaned during and after shaving, and which cleaning can completely and easily remove all the material lodged between the blades. The present invention sets forth such a razor and method for cleaning the material from between blade elements.
Under a broad aspect, the present invention is directed to a razor having a blade unit containing a plurality of blades. The blades are preferably mounted in a manner which enables them to be readily moved apart to provide access to the space between the blades to facilitate the cleaning and removal of any lodged material. Upon completion of cleaning, the blades are returned to their original position and are ready to again be used for shaving. A number of exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below.
Under an additional aspect, the invention is directed to a method of cleaning a multiple-bladed razor. Under the method, the blades are spread apart by an actuator and the area between the blades is cleaned. The blades are then returned to their original positions for further use in shaving.